BCEL's clients require faster services
BCEL's clients require faster services
Banque Pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public (BCEL) spends billions of kip annually on adding more staff and developing new service products, technology and systems to reduce the delays and long queues at some service offices in both Vientiane and the provinces.
“Our business growth and the increasing number of customers has caused our services to be delayed sometimes and we can see a long queue at some service units,” BCEL Acting General Managing Director, Mr Phoukhong Chanthachack, said.
Some service units in Vientiane have many service counters; however there are only about three or four staff working while many customers are waiting in a long line and it takes quite a while to get served.
One woman, who was waiting for her queue number to be called at a bank service unit on Kamphaengmeung Road in Xaysettha district, said “I have been sitting here for over 30 minutes or almost 45 minutes now.”
“We add new employees and develop our service products, technology and systems each year but we still cannot meet the increasing numbers of customers,” Mr Phoukhong said in an interview recently in Vientiane.
“The customers are growing fast; we can see the number of deposit accounts and other service products in use.”
In 2010, the bank had total deposits of 8.4 trillion kip, which had increased to almost 23 trillion kip by October this year.
Regarding credit, the bank's lending increased from 2.7 trillion kip in 2010 to 9.7 trillion kip recently, according to a recent report from the bank.
The bank currently comprised more than 1,500 employees. “We also plan to employ additional staff of about 100 people annually to ensure a faster service,” Mr Phoukhong said.
Besides having more staff, the bank has also upgraded its service systems' capacity and is adding more technology or service equipment.
To solve the issue of crowds of customers at the bank's service offices or units, “We have tried to announce or advertise to customers that they can access bank services by themselves via the bank's service products by using ATMs, smart phones and trades and service agencies,” he said.
The products include SMS, e-banking, bill payment, BCEL One, internet b anking, student cards, smart tax, and ATMs which allow withdrawals, transfers and other cards services.
Customers who live in the provinces and rural areas can also access bank services via the trades and service operators that serve as the bank's agencies. These service products utilise community money express (BCOME).
“The new product is an ATM service where you can deposit money. It is currently only available in Vientiane. We will expand such services to the provinces in the near future,” Mr Phoukhong said.
Another improvement is that BCEL ATM card users can now use the services of other banks' ATMs whose systems are integrated via the ATM pool system. This means they can use the ATM services offered by the different departments within the banking sector.
“All of the product se rvice improvements and service system developments are directed to meet customers' requirements and towards the attainment of international standards,” Mr Phoukhong said.
